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Camp Meeting
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etween 1776 and 1850 the Methodists in America achieved a virtual miracle
of growth, rising from less than 3% of all church members in 1776 to more
than 34% by 1850, making them far and away the largest religious body
in the nation and the most extensive national institution other than the
Federal government. Methodist growth terrified other more-established
denominations.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, Methodists boasted more than
4,000 itinerants, almost 8,000 local preachers, and over a million members.
It was nearly one half size larger than any other Protestant body and
could muster more than ten times the preaching force of the Congregationalists,
who, in 1776 had double the number of clergy of any other church. By 1850,
in a nation where only 25 to 30 percent of the people claimed any religious
affiliation, almost one in fifteen Americans belonged to a Methodist church
(1.5 million out of 23 million)." --From Nathan Hatch in Church History
Journal, June 1994, p. 179.
One of the ways Methodism spread was by camp meetings. People came from
miles and stayed for days. Emotions ran high. See woman swooning above.
Distinguished historian Philip Schaff in 1849 lamented over Methodist
revivals where there was "groaning and sighing, all praying in confusion,
a rude singing of the most vulgar street songs, so that it must be loathing
to an educated man, and fill the serious Christian with painful emotions."
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